The Destin library was abuzz with excitement Wednesday morning, as children and their parents waited for the 11th Annual Children’s Easter Egg Hunt to begin. Dressed in their Sunday best and carrying baskets of all shapes and sizes, toddlers squealed with delight at the sight of the 2,000 brightly colored plastic eggs scattered throughout the library.
At the stroke of 9:30 a.m., Reference and Youth Services Librarian Will Rogers gave the signal and 82 children and their parents and guardians burst into action. Small children gathered eggs from the floor, while older kids found eggs atop books, tables and shelves. In the end, every child gathered an overflowing basket of eggs, and many began eating the snacks of Goldfish crackers and other small treats that were hidden inside.
After the hunt, the children were treated to a visit from the Easter Bunny and the Destin Dog played by locals Tom and Nancy Weidenhamer. Kids then took turns sitting on the laps of the two characters while parents took advantage of a photo opportunity.
Before heading home, each child was also handed a gift bag full of small trinkets and snacks to enjoy. All told about 175 people showed up for the popular spring time event.
Rogers told The Log that private donors fund the Easter Egg Hunt each year, and that it takes the dedication of many volunteers to keep the tradition alive.
“The volunteers are superb, I couldn’t do it without the support of the volunteers,” He said. “We were also very thankful for a good turnout and it appeared that everyone had a good time.”